Late Winter Tasks to Get Ready for a Spring Garden

When temperatures in late winter begin to warm up and you first notice those crocuses blooming in the snow, it's tempting to jump into spring gardening before spring officially arrives. However, you'll be better off to prepare for spring gardening rather than do things prematurely.

Gardening TasksforLate Winter

Take notes---Take a walk through your garden, noting everything that needs attention. This way you'll see items that need extra care once spring arrives. Note and record concerns such as fungus problems you may have had last spring, deciding to plant in a different area this year. Maybe flowers planted near the house didn't thrive as well as you expected as they needed more sunlight. In other words, late winter is an excellent time to map out your strategy, making needed changes before spring does come.

Pruning----Contrary to what you may think, pruning can and should be done when plants are dormant, during the winter. Because plants are just starting to bud in the spring, it's not a good time to save all your pruning for spring. Besides preserving the shape of a plant, pruning also enhances its health and quality as well as improves its fruit. It also helps restrict growth. For example, now in late February is an excellent time to start pruning back my backyard butterfly bush, so by spring it will be ready to bud fully. Be sure to wear goggles to protect your eyes to avoid pruned growth from "jumping" out from your shears.

Lawn cleanup---When your grass starts to dry out from melted snow and isn't sopping wet, you can start cleaning up your lawn. Begin by raking it to eliminate dead grown, as well as stray leaves, twigs, and other winter debris. This will permit air and light to penetrate the soil, which will promote grass growth.

Spray for insects---Late winter is a good time start spraying dormant oil to fruit trees and shrubs to manage winter pests and scale insects. It's best to use organic pest control at this stage when you note swelling buds, yet leaves still haven't opened. A good temperature to apply is between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (4-21 degrees Centigrade)

Re-seed lawn---If you have bare or broken up patches of lawn, you can re-seed these areas. First, rake up the soil. Then, mix a shovelful of soil and grass seed to spread on patches. Finally, rake the spread, making sure it's level and adequately watered until seeds sprout and the new grass is established.

Prepare soil---As soil is the magic key to a successful garden, it's vital that you have good soil if you want spring flowers and/or vegetables. Wait for a dry period to prepare your soil. Then, (making sure the soil isn't saturated), add organic matter (one part to every three parts soil). Till it in about 8-12" deep and then spread lime to sweeten acidic soil, followed by fertilizing. Be sure to rake it in a couple of inches deep.

Visit Nurseries

Finally, visit your local nurseries and garden centers to check out what's available as well as ask questions. You don't have to invest in anything yet. With just a little preplanning your spring garden will have better odds for succeeding than if you'd just stayed indoors by the fireplace, just waiting for spring to arrive.